About Guelph Mercury Tribune

The Guelph Mercury Tribune is a fusion of two newspapers and websites serving the Guelph region: the Guelph Mercury and the Guelph Tribune.

The Guelph Mercury published as a daily newspaper since 1867, until its final edition in January 2016.

The Guelph Tribune is a Guelph community newspaper established in 1986 and publishes in print Tuesdays and Thursdays. As we began to prepare for the Guelph Tribune's 30th anniversary, it seemed appropriate to honour the heritage of the Guelph Mercury and its important role in documenting life in Guelph by incorporating that great brand into the Tribune's name. The Guelph Mercury Tribune continues to tell the stories that matter to our region.

The Guelph Mercury Tribune is committed to community journalism and is dedicated to serving the great community of Guelph.

Look for us on Twitter at our new account @MercuryTribune and "like" the Mercury Tribune's Facebook page to add it your feed. The Guelph Mercury Tribune also has a new app, available April 2016 for Apple, Android and Blackberry users. Download it for full, mobile access to Guelph Mercury Tribune.

History of the Guelph Mercury

The Guelph Mercury was established in 1867, much like Canada itself - making it one of the oldest broadsheet daily newspapers in Ontario at the time of its final print edition in January 2016.

The Mercury has humble roots; its history tracing back to a weekly, known as the Advertiser, that started in 1854. At the time, Guelph was a hamlet of fewer than 2,000 people, with no telegraph service and dirt roads.

One hundred years ago, classified ads appeared on the front pages of most newspapers. Alongside headlines about faraway wars and municipal budgets were announcements about church meetings or furniture for sale.

Papers were once much more subjective and political - the idea of a balanced news story didn't appear for some time. And people purchased newspapers for different reasons.

In the 1950s, the paper strove to put 25 stories and 75 local names in every issue. From the early days of placing ads and local gossip, page A1 morphed to include more local news, and then changed to cover national and international news with a special city section inside. Around the early 1990s, the paper shifted again, putting local stories back on the front page to emphasize the paper's focus on local news.

The Guelph Advertiser, a weekly paper, was established by George Keeling. He arrived in the hamlet of Guelph from Great Britain in 1854, with his wife, two kids and an old crank press, which was relatively easy to transport.

"It is pretty great that he was able to get a newspaper out at all," because of the primitive existence of life in the hamlet at the time, said Mercury historian Lynn Boland-Richardson.

With five employees, Keeling churned out a paper week after week, never missing a deadline. When he died, his five teenage employees still got the paper to print on time.

In 1862, Toronto newspaperman James Innes bought the Advertiser. He later purchased the Mercury, another weekly, to form the Mercury and Advertiser.

In 1867 the paper was turned into a daily - The Guelph Evening Mercury and Advertiser.

"It was great," Boland-Richardson said. "They published chapters of novels, it was the only way people could get books and they would get news from home, where they had emigrated from," Boland-Richardson said. It also included the latest local gossip.

It was an honour to own a paper at the time, Boland-Richardson said, during the era of newspaper barons in the United States and Britain.

The Mercury's publishers and editors were very involved in the community, sitting on hospital and library boards and other volunteer activities. They were right in the mix of finding out what was happening in the city.

In 1905, a local man named J. Innes McIntosh bought the paper. In 1924 McIntosh bought the rights to the Guelph Herald, a competing daily.

Although it is the successful weeklies that led to the formation of the Guelph Mercury, it's believed that Guelph founder John Galt had a press with him when the hamlet was founded, Boland-Richardson said.

There were at least two papers that attempted to start up in the early 1800s, predating the weeklies that became the Mercury.

Until the Thomson Newspapers Corporation bought the paper in 1947, the paper was always locally owned.

With Hollinger Inc.'s mass purchase of 19 Ontario newspapers in 1995, the Mercury was under new ownership again, and had a larger focus on national news.

Sun Media briefly owned the paper in 1998 before it was sold to Torstar Corporation that same year.

The paper's name has changed several times, with titles ranging from The Guelph Evening Mercury and Advertiser to the Daily Mercury and the Guelph Mercury.

Throughout the years the paper has always been very loyal to the community, Boland-Richardson said.

"They did a good job of writing about their own heritage and pioneers and they've always included bits about the past in the community," she said.

"Like many Ontario newspapers, they did a good job of writing about what was going on in the community, first."

Compiled by Fiona Isaacson

Special thanks to Lynn Boland Richardson and the staff at the Guelph Public Library

About Guelph Mercury Tribune

The Guelph Mercury Tribune is a fusion of two newspapers and websites serving the Guelph region: the Guelph Mercury and the Guelph Tribune.

The Guelph Mercury published as a daily newspaper since 1867, until its final edition in January 2016.

The Guelph Tribune is a Guelph community newspaper established in 1986 and publishes in print Tuesdays and Thursdays. As we began to prepare for the Guelph Tribune's 30th anniversary, it seemed appropriate to honour the heritage of the Guelph Mercury and its important role in documenting life in Guelph by incorporating that great brand into the Tribune's name. The Guelph Mercury Tribune continues to tell the stories that matter to our region.

The Guelph Mercury Tribune is committed to community journalism and is dedicated to serving the great community of Guelph.

Look for us on Twitter at our new account @MercuryTribune and "like" the Mercury Tribune's Facebook page to add it your feed. The Guelph Mercury Tribune also has a new app, available April 2016 for Apple, Android and Blackberry users. Download it for full, mobile access to Guelph Mercury Tribune.

History of the Guelph Mercury

The Guelph Mercury was established in 1867, much like Canada itself - making it one of the oldest broadsheet daily newspapers in Ontario at the time of its final print edition in January 2016.

The Mercury has humble roots; its history tracing back to a weekly, known as the Advertiser, that started in 1854. At the time, Guelph was a hamlet of fewer than 2,000 people, with no telegraph service and dirt roads.

One hundred years ago, classified ads appeared on the front pages of most newspapers. Alongside headlines about faraway wars and municipal budgets were announcements about church meetings or furniture for sale.

Papers were once much more subjective and political - the idea of a balanced news story didn't appear for some time. And people purchased newspapers for different reasons.

In the 1950s, the paper strove to put 25 stories and 75 local names in every issue. From the early days of placing ads and local gossip, page A1 morphed to include more local news, and then changed to cover national and international news with a special city section inside. Around the early 1990s, the paper shifted again, putting local stories back on the front page to emphasize the paper's focus on local news.

The Guelph Advertiser, a weekly paper, was established by George Keeling. He arrived in the hamlet of Guelph from Great Britain in 1854, with his wife, two kids and an old crank press, which was relatively easy to transport.

"It is pretty great that he was able to get a newspaper out at all," because of the primitive existence of life in the hamlet at the time, said Mercury historian Lynn Boland-Richardson.

With five employees, Keeling churned out a paper week after week, never missing a deadline. When he died, his five teenage employees still got the paper to print on time.

In 1862, Toronto newspaperman James Innes bought the Advertiser. He later purchased the Mercury, another weekly, to form the Mercury and Advertiser.

In 1867 the paper was turned into a daily - The Guelph Evening Mercury and Advertiser.

"It was great," Boland-Richardson said. "They published chapters of novels, it was the only way people could get books and they would get news from home, where they had emigrated from," Boland-Richardson said. It also included the latest local gossip.

It was an honour to own a paper at the time, Boland-Richardson said, during the era of newspaper barons in the United States and Britain.

The Mercury's publishers and editors were very involved in the community, sitting on hospital and library boards and other volunteer activities. They were right in the mix of finding out what was happening in the city.

In 1905, a local man named J. Innes McIntosh bought the paper. In 1924 McIntosh bought the rights to the Guelph Herald, a competing daily.

Although it is the successful weeklies that led to the formation of the Guelph Mercury, it's believed that Guelph founder John Galt had a press with him when the hamlet was founded, Boland-Richardson said.

There were at least two papers that attempted to start up in the early 1800s, predating the weeklies that became the Mercury.

Until the Thomson Newspapers Corporation bought the paper in 1947, the paper was always locally owned.

With Hollinger Inc.'s mass purchase of 19 Ontario newspapers in 1995, the Mercury was under new ownership again, and had a larger focus on national news.

Sun Media briefly owned the paper in 1998 before it was sold to Torstar Corporation that same year.

The paper's name has changed several times, with titles ranging from The Guelph Evening Mercury and Advertiser to the Daily Mercury and the Guelph Mercury.

Throughout the years the paper has always been very loyal to the community, Boland-Richardson said.

"They did a good job of writing about their own heritage and pioneers and they've always included bits about the past in the community," she said.

"Like many Ontario newspapers, they did a good job of writing about what was going on in the community, first."

Compiled by Fiona Isaacson

Special thanks to Lynn Boland Richardson and the staff at the Guelph Public Library

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About Guelph Mercury Tribune

The Guelph Mercury Tribune is a fusion of two newspapers and websites serving the Guelph region: the Guelph Mercury and the Guelph Tribune.

The Guelph Mercury published as a daily newspaper since 1867, until its final edition in January 2016.

The Guelph Tribune is a Guelph community newspaper established in 1986 and publishes in print Tuesdays and Thursdays. As we began to prepare for the Guelph Tribune's 30th anniversary, it seemed appropriate to honour the heritage of the Guelph Mercury and its important role in documenting life in Guelph by incorporating that great brand into the Tribune's name. The Guelph Mercury Tribune continues to tell the stories that matter to our region.

The Guelph Mercury Tribune is committed to community journalism and is dedicated to serving the great community of Guelph.

Look for us on Twitter at our new account @MercuryTribune and "like" the Mercury Tribune's Facebook page to add it your feed. The Guelph Mercury Tribune also has a new app, available April 2016 for Apple, Android and Blackberry users. Download it for full, mobile access to Guelph Mercury Tribune.

History of the Guelph Mercury

The Guelph Mercury was established in 1867, much like Canada itself - making it one of the oldest broadsheet daily newspapers in Ontario at the time of its final print edition in January 2016.

The Mercury has humble roots; its history tracing back to a weekly, known as the Advertiser, that started in 1854. At the time, Guelph was a hamlet of fewer than 2,000 people, with no telegraph service and dirt roads.

One hundred years ago, classified ads appeared on the front pages of most newspapers. Alongside headlines about faraway wars and municipal budgets were announcements about church meetings or furniture for sale.

Papers were once much more subjective and political - the idea of a balanced news story didn't appear for some time. And people purchased newspapers for different reasons.

In the 1950s, the paper strove to put 25 stories and 75 local names in every issue. From the early days of placing ads and local gossip, page A1 morphed to include more local news, and then changed to cover national and international news with a special city section inside. Around the early 1990s, the paper shifted again, putting local stories back on the front page to emphasize the paper's focus on local news.

The Guelph Advertiser, a weekly paper, was established by George Keeling. He arrived in the hamlet of Guelph from Great Britain in 1854, with his wife, two kids and an old crank press, which was relatively easy to transport.

"It is pretty great that he was able to get a newspaper out at all," because of the primitive existence of life in the hamlet at the time, said Mercury historian Lynn Boland-Richardson.

With five employees, Keeling churned out a paper week after week, never missing a deadline. When he died, his five teenage employees still got the paper to print on time.

In 1862, Toronto newspaperman James Innes bought the Advertiser. He later purchased the Mercury, another weekly, to form the Mercury and Advertiser.

In 1867 the paper was turned into a daily - The Guelph Evening Mercury and Advertiser.

"It was great," Boland-Richardson said. "They published chapters of novels, it was the only way people could get books and they would get news from home, where they had emigrated from," Boland-Richardson said. It also included the latest local gossip.

It was an honour to own a paper at the time, Boland-Richardson said, during the era of newspaper barons in the United States and Britain.

The Mercury's publishers and editors were very involved in the community, sitting on hospital and library boards and other volunteer activities. They were right in the mix of finding out what was happening in the city.

In 1905, a local man named J. Innes McIntosh bought the paper. In 1924 McIntosh bought the rights to the Guelph Herald, a competing daily.

Although it is the successful weeklies that led to the formation of the Guelph Mercury, it's believed that Guelph founder John Galt had a press with him when the hamlet was founded, Boland-Richardson said.

There were at least two papers that attempted to start up in the early 1800s, predating the weeklies that became the Mercury.

Until the Thomson Newspapers Corporation bought the paper in 1947, the paper was always locally owned.

With Hollinger Inc.'s mass purchase of 19 Ontario newspapers in 1995, the Mercury was under new ownership again, and had a larger focus on national news.

Sun Media briefly owned the paper in 1998 before it was sold to Torstar Corporation that same year.

The paper's name has changed several times, with titles ranging from The Guelph Evening Mercury and Advertiser to the Daily Mercury and the Guelph Mercury.

Throughout the years the paper has always been very loyal to the community, Boland-Richardson said.

"They did a good job of writing about their own heritage and pioneers and they've always included bits about the past in the community," she said.

"Like many Ontario newspapers, they did a good job of writing about what was going on in the community, first."

Compiled by Fiona Isaacson

Special thanks to Lynn Boland Richardson and the staff at the Guelph Public Library